Sydney FC 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers: Drab derby draw kicks-off A-League season

Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers opened the 2026-27 A-League season with a 0-0 derby draw.

A derby between last season's grand final runners-up and their city rivals was an enthralling prospect to start the new campaign.

Yet both Sydney and the Wanderers, who finished bottom of the ladder last season, failed to deliver in a game devoid of attacking quality.

Western Sydney suffered a blow early on when Awan Lual limped off injured, but the only other notable moment in the first half came when Miguel Di Pizio's booking resulted in a bit of a flashpoint.

Di Pizio could have put the Wanderers ahead in the 53rd minute, only to skew over from the game's first clear opening.

Atiya Waraga sliced wide for the visitors late on, but Sydney did not manage a shot on target until the 91st minute, as the season got going in underwhelming fashion.

No derby delight 

There were 18 shots between the teams on Friday, with Sydney having nine and the Wanderers 13, though they only combined for three attempts on target.

The lack of guile in the final third was summed up by the expected goals figures: Sydney finished with 0.57 and the Wanderers with 0.94.

Western Sydney have now failed to win their last eight A-League matches, marking their longest such run in the competition since 2019 (10 games).

Sydney, meanwhile, have now kept 13 clean sheets since the start of last season, which is the most of any team in the competition.

However, the Sky Blues have drawn their last three league fixtures at Allianz Stadium, and are now winless in seven games at the venue (D5 L2).

Sydney did, though, maintain their strong record against their local rivals at Allianz Stadium, where they have not lost to Western Sydney in five league games.